Proof of Functionality

[kiya]

I mentioned a spreadsheet!

Image and commentary behind cut.



I submitted two stories today! I have recorded that data in the spreadsheet! I am accomplished and also going, "Huh, should I send that one there?"

(The green and red tints automatically compare the story wordcount to the max wordcount allowable at the venue and make clear where I shouldn't bother. I will at some poitn go through and hand-tint things like genre incompatibility but that's not as big a deal right now and also not automatable.)

Comments

[graydon]

I admire your diligence!

(Short-story submission puts me in mind of demons polishing toasting forks for all the shredded souls.)

[kiya]

The spreadsheet is bizarrely motivating. I can look at what I have to send, and I can look at places to send, and places I have things, and go, "Oh, that fits there! I could send it!" and I have finally gotten to the point that bashing out a cover letter is not so stressful I want to cry.

Also I really wanted to get "Invisible Light" out again because the rejection I got for it before was so lovely.

It is also Very Strange to me to be capable of writing short stories at all, let alone ones of reasonable quality. And here I am with three in submission and I'm contemplating sending something to F&SF.

[graydon]

If the spreadsheet has converted decision into observation, I'm not sure I'd go with bizarrely. That kind of automation actually helps!

A good rejection is an encouraging thing. I hope it finds a good acceptance.

Hurrah for writing short stories!

[kiya]

Executive function is so hard. SO HARD. But yeah, I plug in a story and a wordcount and it pops up in the matrix and I can find places to send it and I can't have more than one white box per row/column like the Eight Queens Problem and that's all fine.

It was such an encouraging thing, that rejection. The best rejection.

[autumnesquirrel]

Awesome. You made a tool and it is working well for you. That is always a feel good thing for me.